Remember no plastic bags - even compostable and biodegradable ones. It’s critical we avoid plastic contamination, as it could end up in the soil that grows our food. You can wrap your food scraps in newspaper or paper towel.

The cost of food in landfill

In 2016-17 Glen Eira households threw out almost 31,000 tonnes of garbage. Our auditing found around half of this to be food waste – equivalent to about 300 tonnes a week.

Rotting food left in landfills creates methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times stronger than carbon dioxide. See the story of food chart (PDF, 120KB) from farm to table.

Food waste questions

What happens to my food and garden waste?

Food and garden waste is turned into compost at a commercial facility in Dandenong South. It is then used on farms, parks and gardens to improve soil. Visit the Back to Earth website for more information on where this compost is used in Victoria. Council also uses it on our parks and gardens.

The Back to Earth Initiative

What if I already have compost at home?

We encourage you to continue with your own composting. Our service complements home composting, as our commercial facility accepts animal bones, meat, citrus peel and dairy, which aren't recommend for most home composting.

Can businesses have their food waste collected and composted?

We’re reviewing the long-term waste service needs of our higher density population and activity centres in 2018-19.

What if I don’t have a green bin?

Each home with a Council waste service is entitled to one free green bin. You can get an additional bin for $30 per year.

Can I use compostable or biodegradable bags for my food waste?

No. Our green waste processing facility doesn’t accept any plastic bags. They do not break down in the in-vessel composting system and contaminate the compost. Waste is also hand sorted. If the food waste is bagged, contamination can't be detected.

Can I wrap my food waste?

If you wrap your food waste, please use a single sheet of newspaper, tissue or paper towel. Please remove all packaging and place it your garbage bin or recycling bin. Check out our A-Z guide for more information.